Guide to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Hop right off the press! Dates have been revealed for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party in 2019 and tickets are already on sale! The party returns for two additional nights this year for even more family-friendly fun.

Purchase tickets here or by calling 407-827-7350. Prices start at $79 and vary by party date. Hop down for more about this below on last year's coverage! In a departure from years' past, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party dates were not revealed with the Magic Kingdom Halloween party announcement, but look for those soon!

Sure, it’s spring season, and Halloween is probably waaay off your radar. But we had such a hoppin’ time at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party last year that we’re still thinking about it months later. The Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2019 dates were officially announced back in January, so you can’t blame us for already planning out our costumes!

We’ve loved all of the classic, family fun Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party has offered us over the years … but there is so much to do! With only five hours of party time to meet rare characters, trick-or-treat and catch spell-bounding entertainment, a game plan is essential. Lucky for you, the Frog Family is here with our best time-saving advice to help you get the most out of your favorite Halloween Party. It's never too early to prepare!

Our Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween 2019 Guide is quite thorough, so we've added some helpful links to take you to key topics ... or you can just keep reading! Until we get more information about brand-new experiences for the 2019 event, much of the information is based from last year's event. Of course, we’ll keep you updated as soon as we find out the deets!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2019 Dates, Tickets & Best Days to Attend

Disney Halloween parties typically start in late August and run through early November. The parties are held in Magic Kingdom after the park closes from 7 p.m. to midnight. (New last year: The park closed at 6 p.m. for regular guests, rather than 7 p.m. in past years.) Disney has added two additional nights this year, extending the spooktacular fun. You can now purchase Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2019 tickets from your favorite frogs!

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tickets start at $74 for children ages 3 to 9 ($78.81 with tax) or $79 for those over 10 years old ($84.14 with tax).

Best Dates to Attend Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2019

The biggest question we get for this event, as well as for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, is what the best days to attend are. These Disney Halloween parties can and do sell out, especially closer to Halloween, so we recommend purchasing tickets as soon as you know you want to attend.

Oct. 31 historically is one of the most popular dates to attend the Disney Halloween parties, along with Fridays in October, when more locals attend. Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, especially those in early September, are less popular.

Disney does not publicly release its party capacity, but we estimate that a sold-out party is around a crowd level 7 using our Crowd Calendar.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Costume Policy

A more restrictive costume policy went into effect for the Disney Halloween party in recent years. These changes were fairly restrictive, especially for adults. We expect similar guidelines this year.

General Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Costume Guidelines:

Disney may deny admission to anyone or remove anyone who is wearing attire that is considered inappropriate or could detract from other guests' experiences.

Guests may dress as their favorite characters, but cannot pose for pictures or sign autographs.

Costumes must be family-friendly and not obstructive, offensive, violent or objectionable.

Costumes must not contain weapons that resemble or could be mistaken for real weapons.

Costumes may not contain sharp or pointed objects, or materials that might strike another guest.

Guests who do not abide by the guidelines may be refused entry or removed unless their costumes can be modified to acceptable standards.

For guests ages 14 and up:

Layered costumes or costume props that surround the entire body are strongly discouraged and subject to additional security screening.

Costumes and some masks may be worn. Masks cannot cover the entire face, and eyes must be visible.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Entering Procedures

The party officially begins at 7 p.m. inside Magic Kingdom. Disney Halloween party guests are allowed to enter the park starting at 4 p.m., which we recommend taking advantage of. A popular question that comes up is how Disney handles the transition between park close and the start of the party. Last year, the park closed for regular guests at 6 p.m., which allowed cast members more time to filter out those regular day guests who did not stay for the party. (This process went a lot more smoothly, so we assume Disney will stick with the earlier time this year, too!) Party wristbands are then given to party guests entering the park and are also distributed to those who present a valid party ticket at select locations on the park. Beginning at 6 p.m., cast members are stationed at critical points throughout the park to direct the wristband-less toward the exit.

For party guests arriving just in time for the spooky festivities, you will be directed toward Market Street. (We just found out that the back alley between La Chapeau and Tony's Town Square Restaurant has a name!) This path is where you'll find those adorable Halloween character statues (like Pluto seen above), fun photo-ops complete with props AND your first treat station! Select Halloween merchandise can be purchased here as well. What a grand entrance to the party!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2018 Map

Interested in how things worked at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party last year? This 2018 map highlights some of the activities and entertainment, trick-or-treat locations, allergy-friendly options and more in store at the party. We'll update this with a 2019 map in the fall!

Expected Entertainment & Rides at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2019

FastPass+ at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2019

FastPass+ is not available during the party. Luckily, there is generally less need for FastPass+ as most people are enjoying the party activities and spending less time on rides.

Show Times for Key Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2019 Entertainment:

If inclement weather may be on the horizon during your visit, be sure to catch the early stage show and parade in case the later ones get cancelled.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2019 Characters and Locations:

One of the biggest draws of the night is meeting characters, especially those who don't greet guests at other times of year or often. Moana was especially popular last year. Below, you'll find last year's characters and their greeting spots (popular characters noted with asterisk). Note that last year, Stitch was meeting in his Elvis costume! With waits as long as three hours for some characters, you need a strategy! Hop down to tips to see our best strategies for meeting them.

Main Street, U.S.A.

Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater

Liberty Square

Jack Skellington and Sally *

Fantasyland

Anastasia and Drizella

Seven Dwarfs *

Rapunzel

Queen of Hearts, Alice, Tweedle-Dee, Tweedle-Dum, Mad Hatter

Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger (dressed in Halloween costumes)

Ariel and Eric

Belle and Gaston

Minnie Mouse (dressed in Halloween costume)

Cinderella

Cruella DeVil *

Daisy Duck (dressed in Halloween costume)

Princess Tiana

Princess Elena

Goofy (dressed in Halloween costume)

Donald Duck (dressed in Halloween costume)

Tomorrowland

Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear a.k.a. Lotso *

Stitch * (dressed in Elvis costume)

Adventureland

Tarzan, Jane and Terk

Moana *

Captain Jack Sparrow

Aladdin, Abu, Genie, Jasmine

Jafar

Attractions Open During Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2019

One of the major perks of ticketed events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is the shorter lines for some of your favorite attractions. During the party last year, we waited only 15 minutes for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train!

Rides are subject to closure at any time. For a list of refurbishments during your specific dates, please see our full list of Disney World ride closures:

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin

Pirates of the Caribbean

Swiss Family Treehouse

A Pirate's Adventure ~ Treasures of the Seven Seas

Country Bear Jamboree

Splash Mountain

Haunted Mansion

Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

“It’s a small world”

Peter Pan’s Flight

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Mad Tea Party

Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

The Barnstormer

Astro Orbiter

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Space Mountain

Tomorrowland Speedway

Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

New Experiences for 2019

Details about new experiences for 2019 haven’t been released just yet, but take a look at some of the featured experiences from last year!

In 2018, there were three party-exclusive ride overlays that offered special experiences for guests. Pirates of the Caribbean, Mad Tea Party and Space Mountain transformed under the moonlight for an extra special experience.

Pirates of the Caribbean invited a live-action character in its queue to warn you of Gunpowder Pete, followed by a man holding a "Wanted" sign in the loading zone explaining your search for the latest pirate villain. Keep an eye out ... he also popped up in the ride.

Mad Tea Party after dark truly came alive! Special lights and exciting, new music enhanced the already spinnin' ride.

Meanwhile on Space Mountain, the lights were out! The red and blue tunnels turned pitch-black (along with all lighting effects) providing a thrilling, new ride experience with galactic rock music playing to match.

We're hoppy we took these new ride effects for a spin, but if they come back this year, we wouldn't go out of your way unless you were already planning to ride them or they are your favorite rides and you must see the new effects. The good news is wait times are pretty short throughout the night. It's important to know that the rides don't change over until promptly 7 p.m. and only close briefly ahead of this switch for about 10 minutes tops.

While not advertised as an overlay, Haunted Mansion had some interactive ghosts floating about. They're not new, but they are super fun! These characters are residents of the Haunted Mansion ... and as the song says, the grim-grinning ghosts have come out to socialize! They shared some ghost humor and stories from the mansion with guests in the outdoor queue, and on your way out of the exit. The "performance" took place right on the Haunted Mansion lawn.

Calling all tadpoles! Storybook Circus hosted the Disney Junior Jam, featuring some of Lily's Disney Channel faves like Doc McStuffins. Lily LOVED this dance party! I was excited to have an area dedicated to the extra little ones. We're hoping it returns for 2019, because it's a great way to quickly meet tadpole faves.

"Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular"

The infamous Sanderson Sisters from "Hocus Pocus" should be back for another year at the 2019 Disney Halloween party! Watch out — they may put a spell on you as they conjure up the "Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular" show at the Castle Forecourt Stage. The show is held exclusively during the party and features the Sanderson Sisters, Winifred, Mary and Sarah, along with other Disney villains such as Dr. Facilier, Ooogie Boogie and Maleficent. "Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular" replaced the Villains Mix 'n' Mingle. There are typically no picture-taking opportunities with the Sanderson Sisters or the villains. The show is still a wicked good time, especially for fans of the film!

One of the big "treats" of the Disney Halloween Party is trick-or-treating around the park. You can haul in quite a lot of candy if that's the goal, but we prefer to enjoy the entertainment and hit a trick-or-treat trail or two as we hop around.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2019 Expected Treat Locations:

Main Street, U.S.A.

Town Square Theater (Allergy-Friendly Center)

Market Street (party entrance; open until 8 p.m.)

Adventureland

Pirates of the Caribbean

Jungle Cruise

Frontierland

Splash Mountain

Dock to Tom Sawyer Island

Country Bear Jamboree

Liberty Square

Liberty Square Ticket Office (Allergy-Friendly Center)

Columbia Harbour House

Fantasyland

Pinocchio Village Haus

Mickey's PhilharMagic

Walt Disney World Railroad Station

Ariel's Grotto

Tomorrowland

Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress

If the free candy doesn't quite satisfy your sweet tooth, enjoy spooktacular offerings created especially for the season. The buffalo-chicken-nacho-cheese masterpiece pictured above are Hades nachos, found at Pecos Bill's. (The Worms & Dirt found here is the perf tadpole-friendly treat too, by the way.) Right outside at Golden Oak Outpost, our winner for more amazing beverage goes to the Apple Cider Slush. So amazing and refreshing for those fall nights that feel a lot more like summer ;)

A few other party-exclusive highlights include the Hitchhiking Ghost dessert at Aloha Isle, the Oogie Boogie Meringue from Gaston's Tavern and the Muenster Smash Burger at Cosmic Ray's.

Speaking of sweets — while we, of course, advise you to save some room for treats throughout the party, we recommend grabbing a meal ahead of time. Sitting down for dinner with your tadpoles can eat up anywhere between thirty minutes to over an hour of the five-hour party time, so it's much better to enjoy a nice meal before you start partying.

If shopping is your top priority, visit the Emporium, Big Top Souvenirs for apparel, ornaments, pins and more exclusive to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. You can also find costume pieces at Curtain Call Collectibles, and tons of event pins at Frontier Trading Post. We're not overstating this — lines for exclusive merchandise can rival the lines for the characters. Items can sell out quickly if you wait until later in the night. Before you arrive at the party, decide how much time you're willing to spend to get that limited-edition pin set. If you're lucky enough to be traveling with two "grown-up" frogs, we recommend one waiting for merch while the other takes the tadpoles on a ride or two nearby.

Tips for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2019

As we've mentioned a time or two, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is one of the Frog Family's absolute favorite events! For those of you who love Halloween, it is definitely not to be missed.

Now, each of us Frog Family members has a different thing we love most about the party, so that just goes to show you there is a little something for everyone! For those of you wondering whether the party is worth the additional expense, for us, it's a resounding "Yes!" To make it the absolute best experience for your family, follow these tips:

1. Wear a costume

While it's not required that you wear a costume, it sure adds to my enjoyment, because my favorite part of the night is taking in all of the elaborate costumes! And since this is the one event of the year where you are allowed to wear a costume at Magic Kingdom, I like to take advantage of it. And, in case you're wondering, you're never too old to enjoy Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Note: Masks are not allowed to be worn at the Magic Kingdom, so keep this in mind when choosing your costume.

2. Keep it light

While temperatures in Orlando are cooling down a bit, the average high is 90 in September and 85 in October. It can still be quite muggy, especially after those still-frequent afternoon rains, so parents should dress their children (and themselves) accordingly for the Disney Halloween party. Think twice before outfitting your little monster as Sulley, at least a head-to-toe furry Sulley. Consider bringing a change of clothes for younger children "just in case" and picking up rain ponchos at your nearest dollar store before you leave for the trip.

3. Bring your own trick-or-treat bags

Upon entry into the park, guests will receive treat bags. That's a cool perk, but they are on the smallish side. If your children are there for the loot, consider packing extra bags. You can also purchase souvenir bags that do the trick! Trick-or-treating is Lily's favorite part of the party, but she loves saying "trick-or-treat" as much as she loves the candy. You'll find candy stations throughout the park. Save time and skip the crowds by trick-or-treating later in the evening.

If you're not planning on hitting every treat spot, try visiting the unique places, such as inside of the Enchanted Tiki Room. Treats with tiki birds = extra fun! If your treat line is long, don't wait. Visit a different one, or come back later. You'll find the same candy at each one!

For allergy-friendly offerings, a teal chip is handed out at the entrance of the party. Make your way to the street behind Tony's Town Square Restaurant to pick up your chip. You'll exchange this token for a teal treat bag and special candy at the allergy-friendly locations.

4. Get to the parks early

This is the single-most important tip for maximizing your fun and justifying the cost of this separately ticketed event. While the Disney Halloween party officially starts at 7 p.m., guests can begin entering the park as early as 4 p.m. We highly recommend you get to the park early, so you can spend as much time in Magic Kingdom as possible.

When you arrive, Halloween Party attendees will be directed to a special entrance to receive wristbands. If you've already spent your day at the Magic Kingdom, you can secure your wristband from a cast member at specially designated locations throughout the park —don't worry, you can't miss the signs! Receiving your wristband is an absolute MUST-DO. Cast members are around every corner to usher non-party attendees out of the park.

5. Visit the most "in-demand" characters first

Leap's favorite part of the party is meeting all of the characters who greet guests in different locations. "Rare" characters are out for photo-ops, and your usual favorites are wearing their best Halloween garb. Lines can get very long for the most popular characters (up to three hours or more!), so be sure to prioritize. (If you want a costume idea, check out our DIY Jack and Sally T-shirt.)

Some of the more exclusive characters (Jack & Sally, the Seven Dwarfs and Moana) may be found meeting before the party even begins, but only for Halloween party guests with wristbands. We saw Jack and Sally out as early at 6 p.m. — and there was already a three-hour wait! If you arrive at Magic Kingdom when doors "open" for Halloween Party guests at 4 p.m., we recommend heading toward the characters' designated locations and asking cast members where and when to line up. That way, you can spend valuable party time doing other fun activities!

Can't make it early? Have no fear. Our best advice is to wait until just before parade times to hop in line for character meet-and-greets. Pick one of the two parade showings to attend, and then spend the other time snapping pics with your favorite characters. Another great idea is hopping in line toward the end of the night. The park starts to empty out as families head home, so 11 p.m. is a great time to get in line.

As a time-saver, try meeting characters who are joined by a friend. This may also make your tadpoles hoppier. Lily was dying to meet Jasmine, but Tad was all "whatever." Once he saw Genie join Jasmine, he hopped right in line with his sister.

The lines for characters have grown longer than in years' past. We recommend deciding as a family who your "top priority" characters are and making a game plan before you go. If a photo isn't a must, it's fun just to walk around and see the characters and their unique outfits. A majority of them meet outside, so it's easy to check them out in passing.

6. Stake out your parade location

Tad's favorite part of the party is watching Mickey's "Boo-To-You" Parade. He loves the Headless Horseman, all of the spooky floats and the characters in costume. You don't want to miss the Grandmaster's entrance — even if he is missing his head. Be sure to find a spot along the parade route at least 15 minutes in advance if you don't mind standing behind other people. If you want to be in the very front row, you should plan on staking out your spot — especially near the Castle and along Main Street U.S.A. — at least an hour ahead of time. You'll spot people snagging the best spots up to two hours ahead of time.

Don't want to spend so much time holding your ground? We recommend viewing it in Frontierland. You can get a great spot with a much shorter notice. We found a spacious area for the family just about fifteen minutes before the parade kicked off. We love the atmosphere of Main Street U.S.A., and that's where you'll find us for the Christmas parade. Halloween is a different story. We think Frontierland fits the spooky ambiance of "Boo-to-You." Since the parade starts in Frontierland, that also means it finishes sooner. So you can hop on more rides and character meet-and-greets while the rest of the audience waits for it to finish up.

The parade happens twice nightly and kicks off in Frontierland, follows the waterway until it reaches Liberty Square, crosses the Liberty Square bridge, circles Central Plaza in front of Cinderella Castle then heads down Main Street, U.S.A., where it ends next to Harmony Barbershop. If you don't mind the kids staying up late, go to the second parade. It's usually much less crowded.

7. Make time to mingle

Favorite Disney villains make special appearances to meet and greet party guests. In the past, the villains would mix and mingle after their singing and dancing performance on the Castle Stage. This year, the Sanderson Sisters are expected to take over the stage again in the "Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular," also featuring Dr. Facilier, Ooogie Boogie and Maleficent. Although these villains do not typically join the crowd for photo opportunities, the performance is worth making time to see. The lines for character meet and greets are typically a lot shorter just prior to and during parade performances, so plan to see some characters during either the first or second Boo-to-You parade.

8. Get your boogie on

It just wouldn't be a Disney Halloween party without a dance. Mike and Sulley play host to their own Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball on the Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland. You can dance the night away with your favorite Monsters, Inc. employees … and the adorable Boo!

9. Don't forget HalloWishes!

The centerpiece of the night is the villainous fireworks show Happy HalloWishes! You must not miss the show, as we think it's one of the very best fireworks shows of the entire year. The very best spot for taking in the pyrotechnics is straight ahead on Main Street U.S.A. For a unique (and less crowded) perspective, check out viewing areas near Fantasyland. If you're not worried about seeing the castle, we found fantastic views of the fireworks on the Frontierland bridge, overlooking Tom Sawyer Island.

10. Don't spend too much time waiting for the ride overlays

While it's always neat to experience your favorite attraction with a twist, we didn't find any of the special Halloween party attraction experiences worth waiting too long for. The difference in the party-exclusive changes on Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain and Mad Tea Party are fairly minor, so don't get your hopes up on having a toadally different experience. We wouldn't wait any longer than 20 to 30 minutes for any of these. Luckily, the wait times didn't get too crazy for any of these attractions. We anticipated excited crowds lining up, but they didn't seem to pull any longer of a line than they normally would at the party. So if you can catch a short line (like our 10-minute wait for Pirates) you should check 'em out!

Comments

Hello-you have a lot of good info here -planning on taking my 6yr old son for our first time at Disney on Oct 8th(his birthday) this year —my question is: Will I be required to buy a regular ticket admission to the park the day of the Halloween party? Or will we be able to experience the park with our Halloween tickets just as we would if we had a regular day admission ticket ? In other words, does it make sense to use one of my 2day park admission tickets for this day if we will already be able to experience the park with our Halloween tickets, after 4?

Yes, if you wanted to both the park and the party in the same day, you'd need regular park admission ticket, plus a ticket to the party. Our recommendation is to rest up and take the day to do something outside of the park - hang by the pool, visit Disney Springs, go see the horses at Fort Wilderness - and save your park admission for another day if you plan on doing the party.

That day looks to be pretty low in terms of crowds, according to the Crowd Calendar (4/10), not to mention that if you are planning on going for Mickey's Not-So-Scary, crowds should be even lower for the party. Enjoy!

Awesome guide, thank you! We are hoping to attend the MNSSHP whilst on our holiday in August and I'm super excited about wearing costumes to the Magic Kingdom, something I never thought would happen! I was just wondering if we arrived at 4/5pm are you allowed in wearing a costume? Or would you have to change at 7pm? I'm thinking of booking a dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table and would love to get photo op in costume. Many thanks!

I have a 5 day park hopper and purchasing the tickets for the Halloween party. I dont want to use my park hopper for the day of the party. So we will be arriving at 4. Do we still scan the magic band for the Halloween ticket? Im afraid if I scan my bracelet it will take one of my park hopper days away.

I totally understand your concern. You'll also be mailed some physical admission tickets, so a lot of folks bring those as a backup, just to be safe. However, as long as you are entering Magic Kingdom after 4 p.m., only the Halloween party admission should be scanned from your Magic Band, not your park hopper.

Since we are allowed to get in at 4 with just the NSSHP, does that mean we are able to make dinner reservations as well? I want to go to Be Our Guest for dinner and wanted to know if I could do both in one night!

This will just depend on the time of your reservations. For reservations that start during the party, valid party admission is required. A Cast Member will be able to help you make a reservation that works with your ticket and timeframe at (407) 939-3463 :)

You will toadally be able to use snack credits during the party if the treats qualify as a snack credit (though we unfortunately don't have a specific list for you)! Be on the lookout for the purple snack logo, and enjoy.

We are so hoppy you found these tips helpful! The answer to your question is unfortunately "maybe." The Shop Disney Parks app is awesome in that it allows you to have select items delivered to your hotel room, but not everything available in the brick and mortar stores is available for resort delivery. It is definitely worth a try, especially when those lines get long, like you mentioned -- let us know how it goes!

We will be going in September 2019. Are there any specials that reserve seating? (Like when you eat a meal and then get reserved seats.) Also, if we are already in MK that day and have tickets for the party can we just stay in the park? Thanks!

Hi! We are thinking about going to just the party, and not magic kingdom during the day. If we arrive at 4 and stay all night, can we get to all the rides? Or are we better of splurging and getting the day pass as well? It's just me and my boyfriend - no kids - but I love the kid rides too!

If you are purchasing the party ticket just to ride the rides with shorter lines and that is all you want to do, you would be able to hit many of them. But it is a toadally fun party. You might want to do some of the party stuff too, so it's really what is important to you.

We are thinking about going to the Not so Scary Halloween Party in 2019. I was wondering if we are just going to the Party from 4:00 on do we need a regular Ticket for Magic Kingdom along with the Party Ticket. This is a great article with lots of Info. Thanks

Hi - My friend is at WDW for a business trip and had her family join her to go to MNSSHP tomorrow night and didn't realize/made a mistake about getting tickets, and now is scrambling as they are sold out. Do you have any suggestion as to how she may be able to get tickets? Thank you!

Thank you very much for your guide. After reading everything we have made a really good game plan on how we are going to navigate tonight. We are doing not so scary tonight with our daughter and made our own customers. We are going to be the flinstones. Agin thank you and look forward to your blog on Mickey Christmas.

Hey! My family of 4 are all dressing up for the party! I’m wondering about he best time to change into costume? We will be at MK all day. Would like to be back at 4 for admittance for the party. But I can’t imagine wearing my gamora costume and make up all that time! Can you get in line for characters starting at 4?

PLEASE send us a picture of your costume afterwards! We would love to see. Our answer depends a lot on where you are staying and how close it is to Magic Kingdom. It's tough to say how early characters come out to meet, as it depends on their availability ;) We wouldn't recommend hopping in line until 5-5:30 at the earliest, and only for high demand characters like Jack and Sally.

We would recommend planning on being back at the park no later than 5 so you're all settled for when the party officially kicks off at 7.

I have to say I was hugely disappointed by MNSSHP. For what you pay, half the park is closed and the crowds are still ridiculous. My kids couldn't see anything even though we we tried to get a spot along the parade route quite early. The show in front of the castle was cancelled due to rain as well. They did get a lot of candy at the trick or treat stations but they also had very long lines. We waited almost an hour to see moana, which was 20% of the event. Very disappointing.

Not at all! You'll see TONS of adults (without kiddos) enjoying the entertainment and fun. Some people go just to take advantage of the short wait times for attractions. Plenty of grown-ups even trick-or-treat, dress up and get in the full spirit! The Boo-to-You Parade is our FAVORITE.

I was planning on being a Zombie. I just wasn't sure if this is too scary for the park? For example I wanted to wear a shirt that looks like blood is on it and maybe some body stickers that look like stitches and a headband that looks like I have an ax in my head...

The costume guidelines do not allow you to bring any weapons or anything resembling something dangerous, so the axe headband is probably a no-go. We don't remember ever seeing scary or gorey costumes in the past, so we're not sure this is the right place, unfortunately :(

Quite a few of both quick service and table service are open. You can check table service reservation ability online :) As for quick service, most locations are either closed or used as trick-or-treat locations. We recommend eating before the party starts so you can spend party time enjoying the special entertainment :)

This is really helpful, thanks so much for putting it together!! I noticed that Big Thunder Mountain is not on your list of rides open for the party. It's our son's favorite, please tell me it's not really closed! Thanks again for all your hard work!

Hi. Thank you so much for all the wonderful information you always provide. Anytime we sre headed to Disney I always check your site for information. I did want to ask though, I noticed in your family picture (great idea by the way) you all had little signs. How did you store them while riding? When we go we will have props and I'm wondering how we will handle storing them while we ride. My son is too old for a stroller.

Hi. I am heading to the party next Friday and I am the one that purchased the tickets. I have the scan bar on my phone in my email. Does anyone know if I can just go and get it scanned for all of us on the email or do I need to go to the ticket window?

The event takes place continuously throughout the party at Rockettower Stage in Tomorrowland. You can dance alongside your favorite monsters while a DJ plays fun tunes! No FastPass+ is necessary - it is a dance party you can simply walk up and join!

I'm trying to plan fast passes for my day at Magic Kingdom, which is a different day than the day I am arriving at 4pm to attend the MNSSHP. I'm confused as to which rides are closed during the party. Is the list in this post closed rides? Some are mentioned as having Halloween overlays and as if they are open for the party. Thanks so much for all your info! ????

Great post! Thanks for all the info! I do have a question, though. If we manage to snag a good spot for the 8:35 Hocus Pocus show (we’re going in October), can we pretty much just stay in that same spot and be able to see the Boo-to-You Parade that will pass by there at 9:15?

Question: If we want to take a Lyft or Uber to Magic Kingdom how does that work? Is there a spot they can get in to drop us off? Will we still have to go through the transportation center? I'm trying to plan how much lead time to give ourselves to try to actually be entering MK around 4:00. Thank you!